LINES OF THOUGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA

Rites of our ancestors

The animist beliefs of Marapu are a basis for guidance, cultural identity and social values on the Indonesian isle of Sumba

Agung Parameswara
March 24, 2015

The animist beliefs of Marapu are a basis for guidance, cultural identity and social values on the Indonesian isle of Sumba

Photography by Agung Parameswara

Upon stepping onto Sumba, it can seem as if you are looking through long windows into the past. For in Indonesia’s ‘sandalwood island’, located in the southeastern province of East Nusa Tenggara, the majority of the population follows in the footsteps of their ancestors, echoing their traditional ways of life.

Agung Parameswara
Constructing tradition: Sumbanese men swing machetes and shout for joy at the commencement of the building of a traditional house in Wainyapu village, Kodi district. Photo: Agung Parameswara

At the core of many people’s social values and life philosophies lies the animistic belief system of Marapu. It prioritises elements of chastity, purity of soul, peace, harmony, love, harmonious relationships, conformity and balance, between both God and man, and man and nature. Followers believe that the spirits of the ancestors do not disappear, but simply move from the living world to the afterlife.

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Saying goodbye: relatives weep in front of the coffins of Rambu Baja Ori and Rambu Temba Hupunai at Rambangaru village, Haharu district. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Even though worldwide religions, including Christianity, are embraced by almost 65% of the population, Marapu rituals live on – as does a belief that the spirits of the ancestors will always offer protection. The most spectacular ritual is the pre-harvest fertility ritual – the pasola – where a traditional fight draws together hundreds of horsemen carrying spears. Serious injuries are common, and there are occasional deaths. The funeral rites of the Sumbanese also continue. Even today, particularly at the funerals of noblemen, hundreds of water buffalo, horses, pigs and dogs can be slaughtered to accompany the soul to the afterlife.

Agung Parameswara
Final journey: relatives carry a coffin containing the body of Umbu Dondu Tay during a burial ceremony at Rambangaru village. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Photographer Agung Parameswara’s photo essay observes both the Marapu rituals and people’s respect for their ancestors. It expresses the sincerity of worship and belief.

Agung Parameswara
Wooden spears : the pasola ritual welcomes the arrival of farming season, marked by the emergence of nyale, or sea worms, on the beach. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Documenting this story allowed me to learn the power of ritual and to help people to feel and remember,” he writes. ”Tradition will remain in every era where people have culture and continue to live.”

Agung Parameswara
Facing the future: a rato, a traditional spritual leader, reads a chicken liver to predict the course of the pasola ritual in Wainyapu village, Kodi district. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Valued treasure: mamuli, a form of omega-shaped gold jewellery, are considered the most important objects in Sumba culture. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Paying respect: offerings are placed in front of two bodies covered with woven fabric. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Betel juice: a woman carries a plate of betel nuts. For Sumbanese people, consuming betel leaves can enhance both peace and spirit. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Spectator sport: dozens of people watch the pasola ritual in Wainyapu village. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Local life: two women walk down to the river to get water. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Water world: Nicodemus looks for sea worms on a beach. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Agung Parameswara
Making a point: a child stands in a traditional house. Photo: Agung Parameswara

Keep reading:
On a wind and a prayer” – As part of his modern re-telling of Sindbad the Sailor, photographer Beat Presser joined crews aboard the traditional pinisi cargo boats of the Indonesian archipelago



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